Orcs
Overview Orcs are often seen as the classic enemy for most, and for good reason. They have been at war or constant pest of pretty much every race, from humans to Storm Giants. These creatures tend to form large hordes and have a culture based around raiding and pillaging. While some have displayed a sense of honour and a basic warrior's code, they still value physical strength and might over any other concept. A combination of aggressive nature, natural brute strength, and a primitive culture allowed the Darkness to manipulate them into the perfect foot soldiers. The origin of the Orc is still unknown, but sometime during the waning days of the Elven Empire, the Orcs appeared. Though they were less advanced magically and technologically, they nonetheless were able to give the Elves a hard time. Despite stopping War Hordes time and again, the Orcs always came back, crawling out from their caves to wreak havoc on unsuspecting settlements or supply lines. After the Elven Empire disintegrated, the Orcs continued to plague the lands, often cycling from dominance to near extinction for centuries. During their weakest moment, the agents of the Darkness came to them, and offered the various tribes a chance at being on top once and for all. These tribes became bigger and stronger in every way with glowing red eyes that struck fear into the hearts of all who faced them. Most of the Orc tribes accepted this offer and nearly wiped out the world. However, the union of Elves, Human, Dwarves, and other races, were able to defeat them, and shut out the Darkness. Defeated once again, the remaining Orc tribes scattered, narrowly avoiding extinction, and have never fulyl recovered. To this day, Orc wa bands emerge from time to time, but a true War Horde has never been seen since. Even the tribes that never joined evil are still despised. Half Hate and Half Something Else Orcs avoid the settlements of other races, unless its to raid and pillage. However, somehow, someway, a child is born of a human and Orc parentage. Raised in human society, Half-Orcs are often hated, and shunned, often leading these individuals down a dark path. But sometimes, there is one that rises above all of that. People always tend to forget how much they hate you when you're suddenly a hero, and the history books are riddled with Half-Orc heroes. Men and women whom, despite the odds, rose above all the hate and prejudice to become famous knights, revered clerics, and even legendary monks. Because of these shining examples, places like the Commonwealth have learned to accept them, slowly anyway. There is still a long way to go, but there isa small glimmer of hope that things can change. . . . Appearance Orcs are pretty hard to miss, typically over 7 feet tall and a mountain of muscle. Both male and females have pronounced tusks protruding from the lower jaw, and have a greyish green to dark green skin. Often referred to as "green skins" the Orcs are well known for their nomadic culture, and so they do not have much in the way of agriculture. Because of their wanderer ways, most tribes resort to raiding and pillaging, regularly targeting unprotected settlements and caravans. Half-Orcs share many physical traits from their Orc heritage, but often appear less brutish. Their tusks are not as pronounced, and some even have more copper or olive skin tones. Some Half-Orcs are quite tall, most average 6 foot 5 inches and up, and are more lean and toned in comparison to full-blooded orcs.